And in 2010 they did what?
- MBFlyerfan

2010 was on NHL sized ice.

2010 was on NHL sized ice.
- Tomahawk

I did not remember that. You are correct. Though I still agree that the Kieth/Weber pairing is without peer in this tournament.

I did not remember that. You are correct. Though I still agree that the Kieth/Weber pairing is without peer in this tournament.
- MBFlyerfan

All three medalists for 2010 were countries that play on the small(er) rink sizes: CAN, USA, FIN.

Edit: Keith will be fine... not sure about Weber, though.

The Swedes are nasty
- Giroux_Is_God

Their only weakness is their bottom-6. There's a big dropoff from Steen - Zetterberg - Landeskog to Alfredsson - Berglund - Nyquist. But with their defense and goaltending, plus a top-6 as good as any team, they're a tough out.

I still say that this Canadian team is arguably better than the last one, and a lot of the returning players are also better than they were 4 years ago. To me, it's Canada's gold to lose.

Their only weakness is their bottom-6. There's a big dropoff from Steen - Zetterberg - Landeskog to Alfredsson - Berglund - Nyquist. But with their defense and goaltending, plus a top-6 as good as any team, they're a tough out.

I still say that this Canadian team is arguably better than the last one, and a lot of the returning players are also better than they were 4 years ago. To me, it's Canada's gold to lose.
- jmatchett383

They will never win without Giroux. They are cursed!

I still say that this Canadian team is arguably better than the last one, and a lot of the returning players are also better than they were 4 years ago. To me, it's Canada's gold to lose.
- jmatchett383

Politically, I can understand why they chose the players that they did... but if I'm the TC brain trust, and I can afford to piss people off in a singular pursuit of gold, I'd cut guys like Benn, Getzlaf, Perry, Nash, Carter and Weber knowing that they're better suited to the NHL rink than the IIHF one.

I'm loading up on guys like Brian Campbell, Keith Yandle, G, Seguin, Hall, Spezza, Couture... guys that can flat out make plays with the puck on their sticks on the big ice. And Marty St. Louis makes my team on the 1st cut.

Politically, I can understand why they chose the players that they did... but if I'm the TC brain trust, and I can afford to piss people off in a singular pursuit of gold, I'd cut guys like Benn, Getzlaf, Perry, Nash, Carter and Weber knowing that they're better for the NHL rink than the IIHF one.

I'm loading up with guys like Brian Campbell, Keith Yandle, G, Seguin, Hall, Spezza, Couture... guys that can flat out make plays with the puck on their sticks on the big ice. And Marty St. Louis makes my team on the 1st cut.
- Tomahawk

Shea Weber, to me, is the best (maybe 2nd best) defenseman on the planet. Leaving him off would be akin to leaving Pronger off a team after his Norris/Hart season simply because of his skating. And that makes no sense to me.

Politically, I can understand why they chose the players that they did... but if I'm the TC brain trust, and I can afford to piss people off in a singular pursuit of gold, I'd cut guys like Benn, Getzlaf, Perry, Nash, Carter and Weber knowing that they're better suited to the NHL rink than the IIHF one.

I'm loading up on guys like Brian Campbell, Keith Yandle, G, Seguin, Hall, Spezza, Couture... guys that can flat out make plays with the puck on their sticks on the big ice. And Marty St. Louis makes my team on the 1st cut.
- Tomahawk

He'd have a hard time making Team Canada

They will never win without Giroux. They are cursed!
- PhillySportsGuy

I still say Giroux should have changed his name to "Girouxsberg" and tried to play for Sweden.

He'd have a hard time making Team Canada
- PhillySportsGuy

I still say Giroux should have changed his name to "Girouxsberg" and tried to play for Sweden.
- jmatchett383

Goppa

Shea Weber, to me, is the best (maybe 2nd best) defenseman on the planet. Leaving him off would be akin to leaving Pronger off a team after his Norris/Hart season simply because of his skating. And that makes no sense to me.
- jmatchett383

Blake and Pronger weren't very effective in Nagano and Torino.... that kind of skill set just doesn't translate.

Blake and Pronger weren't very effective in Nagano and Torino.... that kind of skill set just doesn't translate.
- Tomahawk

yeah, but hockey's hockey and players can adapt.

I still say Giroux should have changed his name to "Girouxsberg" and tried to play for Sweden.
- jmatchett383

Pretty sure Jagr could have gotten Giroux Czech citizenship!

Blake and Pronger weren't very effective in Nagano and Torino.... that kind of skill set just doesn't translate.
- Tomahawk

Neither were Bourque, Desjardins, Foote, or Stevens. The only one who played well for that team was MacInnis.

If you pair him with a good skater and puck mover (say, a guy like Seabrook) he should be fine on the big ice.

Edit: He (Weber) also played EXTREMELY well at the 2009 WC in Switzerland on the bigger surface (I'm assuming).

Blake and Pronger weren't very effective in Nagano and Torino.... that kind of skill set just doesn't translate.
- Tomahawk

Ive never played hockey on a wider rink. Is it really that different? Looking for answers from people who have.

Ive never played hockey on a wider rink. Is it really that different? Looking for answers from people who have.
- PhillySportsGuy

not even on xbox?

not even on xbox?
- Crimsoninja

I think thats a bit different

I think thats a bit different
- PhillySportsGuy

wait til next gen comes out

not even on xbox?
- Crimsoninja

Real men play on wider surfaces on a PS3.

Ive never played hockey on a wider rink. Is it really that different? Looking for answers from people who have.
- PhillySportsGuy

The first assumption is you need faster players, but that's kind of a fallacy since the rink lengths are the same. The difference is that there is more spacing between the players... offensively, you have longer to make a play, so decision-making becomes really key... defensively, the closing distance is huge, so it's a lot more stick work in open ice than rubbing guys out against the boards.

Ive never played hockey on a wider rink. Is it really that different? Looking for answers from people who have.
- PhillySportsGuy

i have, most recently this summer, and prior to that in sweden while i was exchange student in college, and at a few other rinks in north america over the years. it is different. 15 feet of extra ice is a tremendous amount of real estate. it's less physical, the angles are different. the room behind and around the net is like an ocean. players have more time to make plays and more room to gain speed moving up ice.

i would love to see the nhl split the difference and make the rinks somewhere around 90-92 feet in width. in my opinion, 85 is too narrow, and 100 is too wide. my college rink is 90 feet and it's fabulous.

Edit: He (Weber) also played EXTREMELY well at the 2009 WC in Switzerland on the bigger surface (I'm assuming).
- jmatchett383

True, but that was with many of the world's best players in the SC Playoffs, not participating.

True, but that was with many of the world's best players in the SC Playoffs, not participating.
- Tomahawk

Absolutely. But my point is that he's played on it before and has had success. Even with some of the world's best players out, he obviously was able to play on it. You'd think he was able to realize the difference in angles and spacing at that tournament and could use that experience to his advantage this year.

i have, most recently this summer, and prior to that in sweden while i was exchange student in college, and at a few other rinks in north america over the years. it is different. 15 feet of extra ice is a tremendous amount of real estate. it's less physical, the angles are different. the room behind and around the net is like an ocean. players have more time to make plays and more room to gain speed moving up ice.

i would love to see the nhl split the difference and make the rinks somewhere around 90-92 feet in width. in my opinion, 85 is too narrow, and 100 is too wide. my college rink is 90 feet and it's fabulous.
- hammarby31

As the person on here who probably has the most experience, how would you feel about the NHL having non-regulated rink sizes, but only using minimum (current NHL) and maximum (international) rink sizes? Similar to baseball stadiums that have fairly unrestricted maximum stadium dimensions. It would be interesting to see what would happen with the next generation of stadiums, and would probably impact team structure.